Complaints about the new mapping service include missing roads, wrong locations and a poor search function, The Wall Street Journal reported. A search for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, for example, puts it roughly 4 miles from where it actually is.

"We launched this new map service knowing that it is a major initiative and we are just getting started with it," Apple spokesman Simon Pope said in an emailed statement, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News reported. "We are continuously improving it, and as Maps is a cloud-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will get."

The Journal said Dutch navigation company TomTom tried to distance itself Friday from the widespread criticism.

TomTom, which agreed in June to supply Apple with mapping data for its latest iOS mobile operating system, said Friday its maps data provides only the "foundation" of the Apple's mapping software.

TomTom said its own mapping application "consistently gets high consumer ratings."

The Journal said Apple dumped Google Maps from the updated version of Apple's mobile operating system in an attempt to reduce its dependence on Google.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.